Water gauge



April 16, 1929. R. H. FLoYD ET AL WATER GAUGE Filed March l, 1926 Patented Apr.- 16, 1929.

1min. FLOYD AND Monfrmnn e. WOLF, or carence, ILLINOIS.

WATER GAUGE.

Application viled March 1, 1926. Serial No. 91,363,

v This invention lrelates to water gauges for motor vehicles, for indicating the height of the water in the radiator ofthe motor. The invention also relates to devices of this lkind having thermometers and hydrometers whereby the temperature of the Water w1ll be indicated, and also the condition of the anti-freezing mixture in winter.

The object of the invention is to vprovide l0 a novel and improved water gauge of the foregoing general character, having certain features of improvement tending to render the same more satisfactory in use, and more satisfactory to manufacture, the invention being in the nature of an improvementon the construction shown and described and claimed in our prior application No. 11,089, filed February 24, 1925.

lt is also an objectto provide certain de tails and features of construction in combn nations tending to increase the general eiliciency and desirability of a device of this particular construction and character.

To these and other useful ends the invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is aside elevation of a portion of the motor of an automobile or other 3@ motor vehicle, showing a water gauge on the dash of the vehicle embodying the principles of the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the said water gauge. c

Figure 3 is a sectional line 3, 3, in Figure 2.

Figure d is a horizontal section on line 4l, a, in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a vertical section lon line 5, in Figure 4l.

As thus illustrated, the invention comprises a vertically disposed water gauge tube 1 held in watertight upper and lower littings 2 and 3 as shown, these fittings being suitably and removably secured to the dash of the vehicle, as shown, bythe nuts shown. 'llhe upper fitting 2 is connected by a pipe d to the upper portion of the radiator or condenser 5 of the engine, while the lower fitting'is connected by pipe 6 with the side of the water jacket 7 of the engine. In this way, of course, when the radiator is filled, the water will gradually rise in the jacket '1? until it hows out through the pipe 6 and into the tube l, and thewater will then rise until it enters the pipe d, if the radiatorv is lid entirely filled. In any event, the water will rise a distance in the water gauge glass tube 1 and during the running of the engine the water can circulate from .the watery jacket through the glass ytube l and through tbe pipe 4 back lto the radiator whereby the temperature of the water in the glass tube 1 will always be substantially the same as the temperature of the water in t-he jacket of the engine, when the engine is running. The glass tube 1 is only operative to show dii'orent levels of the water of the radiator, soI that the water -will disappear completely from the gauge when the level of the water in the radiator falls to a point below the lower end ofthe tube 1, which point is still a little above the engine jacket, or adjacent to the top thereof. Consequently, of course, if the water disappears from the glass tube 1, before the lowering water level reaches the engine jacket, because of the height of the lower end of the gauge, the driver will be inclined to promptly replenish the water, as it will not be apparent whether the water has fallen-to a ver low level, perhaps below the water jac et of the engine, or has simply fallen to the top of the water jacket. lf the glass tube were of a length to show levels in the lower portion of the radiator, the impression might be, with some drivers, that there was still water enough in the radiator and in the cooling system to cool the engine. But with no water whatever in the water gauge, the driver will be inclined to replenish the water, even though it has fallen only slightly in the radiator, or just barely enough to have it disappear from the water gauge. The pipe 4l prevents any .water or steam from entering the passenger compartment of the vehicle, as any water or steam passing out ofthe gauge must return to the cooling system.

ln addition, a thermometer 8 is disposed in the water gauge glass tube 1, as shown, with its upper and lower ends held in sockets in thel upper and lower fittings 2 and 3 and with the water circulating while the engine is running, the temperature, of the water in the water jacket will be shown.

Also, a hydrometer 9 is enclosed' in the glass tube 1, therebyto show the condition of the anti-freezing mixture in winter.

In addition, a drain pipe 10 is connected to lower iitting 3, and a twoway valve 11 is provided in the said lower fitting, thereby in the upper portion to connect the lower end of the gauge with either the pipe 6 or'the pipe 10, as may be desired. This valve controls the circulation of hot water and steam through the gauge and back to the cool-ing system. Then the valve is thrown into position to connect the pipe 10 to the lower end ot' the water gauge, the'pipe 6 is cutoff, and the water will be drained ont of the gauge in the desired manner, and the water gauge will be out of commission.

Regarding the hydrometer, it will be seen that with the drain valve 11 the water can be placed at such a 4height in the glass tube 1 that the hydrometer will float properly, and will worlc properly, whereas without the drain the water-might be at such a.levell that the hydrometer would not act properly, and

' `would not. indi-cate the conditionl of the anti-freezing mixture of the water.

vlVith this construction, therefore, the manner of'using the' invention will be to replenish the vwater whenever it disappears from the water gauge oni-the dash. lVithmo water in the gauge', which is morepof an indicator than a gauge, the driver willaeplenish the water immediately; YIt is not yso'iimportant, therefore,` toknow the exact height of the Waterfin the cooling system, as it is to show that sufficient water has been' evaporated out of the system to make'i-it desirable if not necessary to :replenish the water im mediately. 'If tlie'exact height of the water inthe cooling system, throughout-the radiator and water Jacket, was always 'visible or indicated, there would be danger of creating the 4misapprehension that'the engine was all right asl-long` a s= there was lany Water whateverinthe-gauges But with the gauge or indicator set high, so that the '.water ,therein will disappear before the lowering water level reaches the'engine jacket, there ismore assurance that the water'will be replenished before it has gotten low enough to do any harm. `Moreover, the water can- `not boil over in the gauge or indicator and spill into the passenger compartment of the 'caryfor if when in use it boils over the water and 'steam will pass through the tube 4 to the topof the radiator. Vhen the device is drained, the water will'pass outjrlthrough the tube 10.and be discharged on-to the ground.

The nuts 12, 13 and 14, on the bases 15, 16 and 17, can obviously be removed to permit removal of the device from the upper dash 18 of the motor vehicle. The tie rods or long screw bolts 19 that pass down through the hydromcter.

fithout disclaiming anything,and without prejudice to any novelty disclosed, what we claim as our invention is:

1. In combination with the engineand radiator of a motor vehicle, a water gauge. disposed inposition to be viewed by the driver while driving the vehicle, and means whereby said gauge is connected with the coolin system ot' the engine in position to be filled by water rising from the engineto indicate to said driver'the height of thewater therein, said gauge comprising, a vertically disposed glass tube, upper and lower fittings engaging the upper and lower ends of sald tube, thereby to position the water gauge on the dash of the motor vehicle, said fittings having portions extending through the dash,

-means engaging said portions to hold the ing spilled in the vehicle, and a valve in the lower fitting, operable by the driver to control the circulation of 'water and steam through the water gauge.- .y

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, in combination with a drain-pipe leading from the said lower fitting, controllable bv said valve, so that the water can .be cut od' from the gauge and drained therefrom at will. 3. A structure as specified in claim 1, and a thermometer in said glass tube, thereby to show the temperature of the water circulating through the gauge from the engine to the radiator, and means for connection and disconnection of the upper and lower fittings to and from the ends of the glass tube, and from the upper dash of the vehicle, permittlng insertion and removal of the thermometer, the lower fitting being disposed at a height whereby the water will disappear tember, 1925.

RAY H. FLOYD. MORTIMER G. woLF. 

